Disposable bed linen is increasingly used in developed countries, particularly in healthcare facilities. These have particular application in areas of healthcare with a high daily turnover of patients, usually emergency care wards, outpatients and support services such as diagnostic and treatment centres, XRay, MRI facilities and on gurneys and ambulance stretchers. These are currently used in conjunction with individual top sheets and pillow cases.
These are areas where support staff work under stressful and demanding conditions so continual handling and occasional misplacing of individual bed linen items can significantly impair efficiency. Combining the most commonly used items into a single package eliminates all possibility of misplacing items. A single package can be allocated to every person being attended to and eases the demands on support staff.
Replacing bed linen is an arduous task for healthcare and institutional support staff and this package is designed to make this more time efficient. The invention also eliminates the need for an inventory of individual items as the composite disposable bed linen package replaces 3 individual items.
In addition to the elimination of 3 individual items, these single packs can be readily stored on site and packaging and shipping is also simplified. Depending on the fabric used, the volume and mass of the package will be significantly lower than conventional re-useable linen. As an example, single use disposable fabric preferred for use in healthcare settings, has a density of approximately 60 grams per square meter as opposed to 180 grams per square meter for a cotton rich fabric. A cotton rich fabric has a mass and volume 3 times greater than a non woven disposable alternative.
This is particularly relevant in emergency field hospitals and in remote areas of developing countries in simplifying logistics management.
Military hospitals and staff accommodation require packaged facilities to ensure rapid deployment in areas of need, particularly in times of natural disaster. A composite disposable bed linen package will meet these needs and give users the assurance that they have access to reasonably sterile linen that meets with accepted infection control standards.
The design of this package eliminates zips, clips, ties and hook and loop fasteners and relies on the fitted bottom sheet to secure it in position. This an important infection control consideration as these fixings are difficult to clean and disinfect and can provide an environment for the growth of micro organisms.
The availability of an infection free option such as the composite disposable bed linen package will ensure greater adherence to infection control requirements.
Healthcare facilities in developing countries and institutional facilities (such as military barracks, dormitories, and prisons) typically have bunk style beds with minimal headboard support. These require the use of a pillow to supplement back support for sitting upright in bed and the composite disposable bed linen package accommodates this.
Theft of bed linen is a problem in many countries. The composite disposable bed linen package is ideal in communities where this is a problem as it is designed specifically for institutional use and has little commercial appeal.
In addition to obvious healthcare applications, the composite disposable bed linen package is ideal for prison services, particularly in holding cells. It has uses in hostels and dormitories for short stay visitors who need the assurance of clean and hygienic sleeping facilities.